Black as Coal
by I'm Random
Summary: Could I really do it? Could I really murder someone? Could I really take a life?


**Well,** **here's another story! I hope you enjoy it! And please review, it really makes me happy to hear what you thought! **

**I do not own Once Upon A Time**

**Note: This is in Snow White/Mary Margaret's point of view. **

**Enjoy!**

Innocent.

When I was young, that was what they called me.

Innocent.

I remember when I was young, everyone would call me that. When I was meeting the kings who ruled over the other lands in our perfect world, they would call me that. They would comment to my father how I looked so pure, how I looked so innocent. They would remark how kind and sweet I was, and said that I would make a wonderful queen someday. I had only seen them for a few minutes, and they already beleive they know me. When I would wander the castle, exploring the many different halls, the servants would find me and remark how cute and adorable I looked. How my curiosity got the better of me, and led me through the halls like siren's song. They would laugh at my confusion and lead me back to my chambers, remarking how I had gotten lost in the maze that is my home. If I had wanted to get lost, why would I have kept going deeper into it?

When Regina had sent the Huntsman to kill me, he never killed me. When I ran to escape him, I followed the many trees before me, hoping to find an escape, a way to run from my fate. When I realized that I could not outrun him, I realized that there is no way to escape fate, that in the end, it always leads to your demise. So I found a large rock, and sat, the trees serving as my protection. I had taken out a piece of paper, and wrote a note to Regina, letting my thoughts and words come out freely. I wrote to her and hoped that after my death, my words would still be heard, and that they would never leave her. When I was finishing the final sentence, my last few words, the Huntsman entered the clearing. Expecting him, I had held out the note, telling him that he can kill me, but he must send that message to the queen. He took out the dagger and I closed my eyes, waiting until I was reunited with my mother once again. Instead the Huntsman tells me to run, to escape the fate that was assigned to me. I listened to him, and I fled.

Why had he spared me? Was it because of the letter, that had made his eyes shine? Or was it my innocence, shining bright even back then? Did he beleive that I had not understood the true reason? Did he not beleive that I knew why Regina had wanted my beating heart? Did he beleive me to be some foolish girl, unaware of all that was going on around her? Did he beleive that I was innocent, and not worthy of his murder because of it?

When my mother was alive, she would always tell me to treat people with kindness, to treat everyone as equals. I remember when we were preparing for my birthday ball, the last time I would ever see my mother well and alive. We had walked in on Johanna, who was wearing my crown and acting like the princess she would never be. I had flipped out, being rude and snobby to her. She had the tiara in her hands, and apologized many times, but I wouldn't hear of it. How dare she wear the crown meant for me?! My mother had called my name, and said she thought that she had raised me better. I was confused, weren't we royalty? I learned from her that day that everyone was just like me, they may not have fancy clothes or a pretty crown, but they all were human too. In a way, we were all the same. I remember she had died, and I was at her bedside. I did not realize then, but I know now, it was Cora's work.

She had murdered my mother without a reason, without a cause, for her own selfish purposes. She wanted power, all she wanted was power. She did not care who she hurt in the end. She did not care about the many families that she tore apart, she does not care that she ruined her own daughter's happiness, she does not care that she ruined my life. All she wanted was power, the ability to be greater than others. She made many sacrifices, and ruined many lives, but, in the end, she had gotten it. She has the dagger, and she has her daughter's trust, all she needs now is Rumplestiltskin. When he returns, she will kill him with his own dagger, gaining his power while he loses his life. Once she does that, there is nothing we can do.

Unless I make the ultimate sacrifice.

I look at the bright red heart within my hand, beating to an increasing tempo. It feels disgusting, a bright red slime convulsing in my palm. I look at the heart and think of the monster that it belongs to. I think of her and how she murdered my mother, how my mother died because of her selfish desires. I think of how Cora must have been after my mother's death, how she smiled and laughed like it was a comical story rather than a tragic death. Even now, I still can't beleive she was murdered by Cora. Even now, after all these years I still feel the tears fall, traveling down my pale cheeks until they fall to the ground, where the ones we love rest, abandoning us to this cruel, harsh world.

I think of the many lives lost because of my decisions. My stupid, misguided decisions. How foolish I was back then, beleiving in happy endings. Now that I think of it, there is no happy endings. When Charming had saved me from the nightmares, I beleived that I would finally be happy. I beleived that we would finally receive our happy ending, I mean, after all that we had gone through, don't we deserve it? Well, I was wrong. We lost our daughter, we lost our home, we lost our happy lives, and now we are losing our love. Day by day the flame that was once so strong is flickering, its light getting smaller and smaller. I know that soon it will go out, leaving us in the darkness that is now our lives in Storybrooke.

I think of Regina and Cora, and want them to pay. Pay for the losses I've faced and continue to face because of them. I look at the heart resting in my hands, beating its tempo, not knowing that its life could end any moment. I am questioning myself now.

Could I really do it? Could I really murder someone? Could I really take a life?

I look at the heart, and I think of Cora. Yes, she is a monster, but does she really deserve to die? Maybe she is misguided, maybe she needs to find the goodness in her. Maybe Cora needs our help.

No, Snow, no.

She murdered many people and ruined many lives, does she deserve to live?

My heart says yes, but I say no.

I think of all the crimes Cora has committed. I think of how she murdered Lancelot, and how she stole his identity, darkening his image. I think of how she murdered that villiage, taking all of their hearts. I think of how she brought them back to life as cold-blooded monsters, unable to listen to their own morals, only listening to Cora, and her command to kill. I think of how she used Aurora, acting as a puppeteer, toying with all of us and acting careless with Auraora and her life. I think of how she made us all feel, worried and tense. I think of how she almost took my daughter's heart, and that horrid delight written on her face when she thought she had it. I think of Cora and how careless she was with the people she met. I think of Cora and how she ruined many lives. I think of that monster and how she forever ruined my life when she took my mother from me.

My grip tightens.

I think of the name my mother gave me, Snow White. My mother said I was born during the toughest winter our kingdom ever faced. When I was growing up, I wanted to ask her why I was named Snow White, was it really just because of the snow she saw falling outside the window? Or was there something more? I never got to ask her this question, she had passed away, and was gone forever from my life. I didn't realize until I saw her lying there, that she was truly gone. That I would never hear her voice again, that I would never hear her laugh. I remember visiting her grave, and cried when I realized how she was buried underneath it. Won't she get cold? Won't she get scared, all by herself down there? Won't she miss me? I remember my father pulling me away, despite my protests. She needed me now, how could I leave her alone?

A few days after she was buried, a light snow began to fall, turning the kingdom white. When I looked out the window, leaning against the cold glass, I realized why my name was Snow White. My mother didn't just name me because of the falling snow, she named me because of the snow's power, how it could erase even the greatest landcapes, and cover them with white. She named me Snow White because of my innocence, because of my power to find the good in everything, no matter how bad the circumstance. What my mother didn't realize though, was that eventually the snow melts, revealing the same landscape, forever unchanging.

I look to my hand and allow the black ash to fall through my fingers. And I smile.

**And that is the end! Please tell me what you think! (especially of the writing). Thank you so much for reading!**


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